<p>Title basically says it all. How much does showing interest in schools, specifically LAC's, work to your benefit, if at all? Does not calling/emailing/visiting/interviewing a negative or just a non-affector.</p>
<p>Moot: Take this for what it's worth: I am consistently amused by the insistence on these boards that students must exhibit serious interest in LAC's, or you can forget an acceptance. My own kid applied to 9 schools, and she neither visited nor had alumni interviews at 4 out of those 9, and she was accepted at all those. And among that 4 was one, a very well known top LAC, that clearly states they do not offer merit scholarships, offered her a very nice merit scholarship with the acceptance. Interestingly, she didn't visit the school, didn't interview with anyone, and she completed only the 1st part of the application and never sent in the fee. </p>
<p>So..you know..for every person who says you have got to show demonstrated interest, there's another out there who didn't and didn't have a problem. I do know that at one school, my daughter telephoned them because she felt she should do an interview. The interview was not required, however, and the admissions office actually said that the interviews really mean nothing, that they are meant for the student if the student has questions that can't be answered on the web site or catalog, so not to worry about it. </p>
<p>Despite what you consistently read on these boards, my opinion is that if you are an outstanding student/person, this will come across in your application (with scores, gpa, EC's, recommendations). I also believe that one must be an excellent writer.</p>
<p>Hope that helps. And please remember.. this is just our experience and my opinion..</p>
<p>I think this study shows why there is such an even split of opinion.</p>
<p>National Association for College Admission Counseling
Assembly Directive Report:
Demonstrated Interest as a Factor in Admission Decisions
July 2004
Assembly Directive
As passed at NACACs 58 th annual conference in September 2002, Salt Lake City, UT:
The Admission Practices Committee shall examine the practices of colleges and
universities denying or wait listing applicants due to a perceived lack of interest
on the part of the applicant.
RESULTS IN BRIEF
Majority of Colleges Consider Demonstrated Interest
More than half (55 percent) of colleges and universities consider demonstrated interest
as a factor in the admission decision.
Small, Private Colleges Most Likely to Consider Demonstrated Interest
Private institutions and institutions with small enrollments are most likely to consider
demonstrated interest as a factor in the admission process. An institutions selectivity
and the institutions yield rate have almost no relation to whether the institution considers
demonstrated interest.
College Wait List Statistics Not Related to Consideration of Interest
Analysis of colleges that maintain wait lists indicate that students are not likely to be
wait-listed, accepted from the wait list, or enrolled from the wait list at a higher or lower
rate at institutions based on the institutions consideration of demonstrated interest.
While institutions that consider demonstrated interest maintain wait lists at a higher rate
than those that do not consider demonstrated interest, there is no statistical relationship
indicating that those institutions maintain a wait list because they consider demonstrated
interest.
Demonstrated Interest Likely Not Determining Factor for Rejection of Applicants
To determine whether colleges use demonstrated interest to reject students, the
importance attributed to demonstrated interest must be compared to the importance
assigned to other factors in the admission process. Both before and after extensive
analysis, demonstrated interest is shown to be a tip factor in the admission process. Its
importanceeven among institutions that openly state consideration of interestis
limited to a second-tier factor. As such, it could play a part (though not likely be the
exclusive determining factor) in the decision to accept or reject students after other
factors are considered, including grades, admission test scores, class rank,
recommendations, and writing sample.
<a href="http://www.nacac.com/downloads/demonstratedinterest.pdf%5B/url%5D">www.nacac.com/downloads/demonstratedinterest.pdf</a></p>